The Labor enquirer., 1887-05-28
THE WORLD UPSIDE powu.
John swinson Finds Old Man CIedhop.
per Joining the Labor Party.

The mass meeting at Lyric hall, New
York, May 10, was called, said A. r. Ham,
mond, tho chairman, "to see whether there
was any sentiment in the eleventh and
twenty-hrst assembly districts about DR..
McGlynn, blue laws, home rule and the
United Labor Party" The hall was full.
John Swinton, after expressing willing
ness to be shot should he speak longer
than twenty-five minutes, said:
There Is now going on in this country
the most extraordinary revolt known since
the memorable days of 1776-a revolt that
was to be seen in the 376 gigantic strikes
that have taken place in this country
since the beginning Of the year. In these
strikes more than four or five times as
many people are involved as we're concern
ed In the troubles Of. 1860. Very menac-
ing Ii this fact-a fact without precedent
In this or any other country. gang of
inconsequential people say We must not
strike, but the more they say it the greater
the number Of strikes.
There IL no reason in reasoning against
strikes. | can give 1900 reasons for not
striking, but still the strikes 90 on. II is
the great phenomenon Of the nineteeth
century. These strikes are the result of
certain transforming or revolutionary
forces that are turning the world upside
down. The first great reason is the mass
ing Of capital in certain hands directed
toward the attainment of some special OBJ
ject
Within stones throw OF my Office is
little black bearded fellow with nose
Abraham might have coveted, who wields
power greater than kings. The rich
men Of old we're paupers by the side of
him. This little beetle-nosed fellow holds
in his power hundreds OF thousands of
men and women, on whom he can put the
screw Of torture at any minute.
There was another man in this town
with hair all over his face, who now lies
buried at Staten Island. His grave is not
protected by guardian angels, but by Pin
kerton thugs. II is such men as these as
will cause n wall of woe to be heard from
the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic
ocean. One of these men can send the
tears To hundred thousand women's eyes
and bend the backs Of n hundred thou
sand strong men. :.
Thank God. we are taking hold of the
sources of power. We are going in in the
old American way; we are going into pol
itics And II is not in the cities, these
European colonies on the seaboard, that
the work Is the most noticeable. II is in
the good old American towns of the farm
ing country. Ihave letter telling me the
Labor Party has just carried Cold Valley,
Virginia. Thunder, what is New York,
when we have carried Cold Valley! II is
in the subsoil districts that the work
counts. An old man called Clod Hopper
rules this country.
In conclusion Mr.. Swinton said;
Strike for something within reach. For
sake not only the principles Of the old
parties, but their methods as well. There
must be no machinery, no bosses, no fe-
tiches, no secret juntas, no secret acts.
We must steer clear of mountebanks,
trcksters, otlice-hunters. BY joining to-
gether all fragments of discontentwe will
make in this country such procedure as
will make you open your eyes. Amen.
Editor =. Il. Shevitch said he had Just
come from nm oyster saloon where beer
was sold to him in coffee cup.